2025 ACCMA Medical Student Scholarship Recipient: Evan Tansimore November 4, 2025 Educational, General The Oakland Sports Equity Coalition: Harnessing Community Coalition Action for Increasing Youth Access to Sports Project by Evan Tansimore Youth sports offer powerful opportunities for growth, health, and community—but access is far from equal. In Oakland and across the country, systemic barriers like pay-to-play costs, limited school funding, and a lack of youth development-focused coaches prevent many children, especially from low-income and BIPOC communities, from participating and exploring different ways to stay active. The Oakland Sports Equity Coalition (OSEC), launched by the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), brings together local leaders, youth sports professionals, educators, and community organizations to address these inequities. Together, they are focused on increasing access, representation, and inclusion in youth sports across the city through open collaboration and resource consolidation. This research study, led in partnership with PCA, uses interviews with coalition members to understand how OSEC functions and what impact it has on the community. Early indications show that participation in OSEC led to more collaboration among partners, more communication among sectors that are frequently siloed, and a shift of culture around youth sports towards growth and inclusion, away from pure competition. While challenges remain, the coalition model shows strong potential for transforming how cities can make youth development through sports accessible for all youth. Evan Tansimore is a 2nd-year JMP medical student and the lead for this project. His love of community equity and sport inspires this research and interest in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, with a potential pediatric emphasis.